Ross tells fan Brandon Marshall would have been cut

The man with not much of a P.R. plan has designed to empower an angry fan base by acknowledging that he’s paying attention.

Who said the only circus is in New York?

But far bigger than the news that, according to Izzy Gould of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross actually called a disgruntled fan to explain the franchise’s haphazard offseason is the disclosure that Ross told 20-year season-ticket holder Jason Lawrence that the team would have cut receiver Brandon Marshall if a trade to the Bears hadn’t been arranged.

“[Ross] said they had been shopping [Marshall] for a couple weeks,” Lawrence told Gould. “Nobody would return their phone calls about getting him. If Chicago didn’t take [Marshall] . . . they would have ended up cutting him very shortly after that, and got nothing.”

Ross also told Lawrence that the Dolphins could have had quarterback Matt Flynn if they really wanted him, and that quarterback Tim Tebow didn’t fit the team’s offense.

To the former point: Duh. To the latter: Double duh.

Of course Tebow doesn’t fit the Miami offense. He doesn’t fit any offense. He’s a talent around whom you build an offense. As to Flynn, why did they bring him to town if they didn’t want him? Was new head coach Joe Philbin hoping to pick up some additional tidbit during Flynn’s visit that Philbin hadn’t gleaned during, you know, four years together in Green Bay?

As to the other quarterbacks linked to Miami this offseason, Ross said that Peyton Manning “wasn’t comfortable” with the Dolphins, and that the team didn’t want to pay Alex Smith $8 million per year in the event that Matt Moore won the starting job.

If Matt Moore is the starter again, look for Ross to be making a lot more phone calls to unhappy fans.

Ross needs to sell the team to someone who knows what they are doing and he and Ireland can go off on a romantic trip somewhere.

ProDolphinsTalk says:Mar 23, 2012 10:22 PM

I actually feel better having read this. Thank you Steve. It’s clear the team was sick of Marshall’s domestic violence wrap and it’s obvious Joe doesn’t believe in Flynn enough to tie his coaching debut to him. Not many teams wanted Tebow so all these moves make sense now. Still can’t explain to me why in the world the team cut YB. GO DOLPHINS.

Come on, Mike! What is it going to take for you to give the Dolphins some love?! The freaking owner calls a fan PERSONALLY to explain the moves the team is making, and you STILL mock! This is such a classy move, and I for one am PROUD to be a Dolphin fan at this moment.

I have not been one of the many idiotic fans kicking and screaming about every non-signing. I actually understand the game and, more importantly, my team. This is all no-brainer stuff, but I am just disappointed that people can’t look past their bias, even in the face of such an awesome gesture…

They really have messed up this off season. They should have just signed Flynn coming out of the gate. They had to have realistically known Manning wouldn’t want to play for them. I do like Matt Moore, but that won’t satisfy the fans down there. They want Dan Marino.

Well it all makes sense does it not? Manning passed them up along with 20 other teams. They were willing to give Flynn a Job but didnt feel he was much better then Moore and might not beat him out, then all you know it alls would call them fools for signing Flynn (according to all the smart guys on here they couldnt land Flynn so they failed) and Marshals off field issues and on field drops at run there course and they still got 2 threes for him. (If Bill in new england pulled that off they would say that Patriots franchise doesnt put up with these trouble makers he knows how to handle a team, no one player is bigger then the team. Love that no nonsense Bill….) The Fins are on the Right Track! Thanks Joe and Mr Ross!!!!

Look, I’m not the president of the Matt Moore fan club, but the guy played pretty well down the stretch, and now that “play not to lose” Sparano and his pseudo-Wannstadt moustache are gone, he has the chance to improve in a West Coast offense. His losses as a starter were to the likes of the Pats, Giants, and Jesus/Tebow. Let’s give him a chance before anointing him the double-bagger at the bar at closing time.

What is it with the media that just wants to paint the Dolphins as inept? It is an irresponsible and take. It is frustrating to listen to the constant jabs, especially from an uninformed and sensationalist, story creating media. If there is nothing to report…don’t make the stuff up!

Matt Moore is more than just a solid QB. The cat flat-out handled his business in the dozen or so starts he had last year after over for a team that started out in the shi**er. He would have won a few more games for the ‘phins if B-Marsh knew how to make the important catches and not just the stat-padders. Dolphins are gonna be fine this year with Moore, we just need to get some more firepower around Matt.

16 Qb’s since Marino retired. Brilliant work drafting and noticing free agent talent you idiots who run this franchise. No field leadership like Ray Lewis etc. Instead of paychecks, let the players buy some heart first. It’s only March and I’m pissed.

If Matt Moore is the starter again, look for Ross to be making a lot more phone calls to unhappy fans.
===================================
Mike, Matt Moore was the 12th rated passer in the NFL on a team that had an OL rated 30th. Moreover the Dolphins were beating both the Giants and Patriots until the final minute of the games. The Dolphins did not have a speed receiver who could catch TD passes. Brandon Marshall dropped many sure touchdowns. What do you not understand about those facts? Stephen Ross wanted to make a splash and it just did not work out because the Dolphins are no longer considered an elite franchise. Many quarterbacks look better than they are due to the supporting cast there with. In Matt Moore’s case he rated excellent (12th in the NFL) on a team that gave him very little support against Super Bowl competition. Really! What do you not understand about that?

I said it then, and I will say it again. When MIA was 0-6, Ross should have fired Sparano, and replaced him with the worst coach on the team. MIA would have Luck or RG3 right now.

MIA was in a bunch of those games when they went 0-6, and it was inevitable they would turn it around and win a few. Perfect opportunity for Ross to tank the season, without making it obvious. With a new coach, MIA would have ended up with 1-2 wins. Missed opportunity…..

Nice to know that there is still a few NFL teams even more screwed up than my Vikings. Keep on keeping it real Fins.

1sgtankerman says:Mar 23, 2012 10:49 PM

Personally I am glad he said something. Somebody at the top needs to speak now and again. Marshall is no great loss. They had to feed him the ball constantly to keep him happy and then he would drop it in the end zone! I was hoping for Matt Flynn but more than that I am hoping they fix the QB position. If Flynn wasn’t it then move with conviction on the one who is.

While he had Jason on the phone, Steve asked him whether he should stick with Jeff Ireland or go in a new direction. At that very moment Jason’s daughter whipered to him asking to use the phone, and he said “Can you wait awhile?”. Steve said, “O.K., sure Jason, I’ll give him another year.”.

C’mon Mike, are you an NFL reporting site, like I thought this was at one time, or an editorial outlet.

‘If Matt Moore is the starter again, look for Ross to be making a lot more phone calls to unhappy fans’. Moore played good enough to win in most of the games he started last year. Not every team is Super Bowl ready every year, this site and the many wanna-be fantasy GMs think it is so fun to ridicule and make fun of teams like they think winning in the NFL is supposed to be easy. Wake up, it is Not. Every team works hard to do the best they can. That doesn’t mean they will win.

This 24/7 on every teams ass to be perfect for all the whiney fans and media bitch’s is getting old. Lighten up for a change…folks!
It is only a Game.

krakyahead says:Mar 23, 2012 10:57 PM

Matt Moore really wasnt that bad last year .

mc9399 says:Mar 23, 2012 10:57 PM

you forgot the best part-

Ross told Lawrence he is 100 percent committed to winning, then painted an interesting picture.

“[Ross] said, ‘I’m telling you right now I want to sit next to you and I want to beat my chest with you,'” Lawrence said. “‘I didn’t buy this team to make money, or to run a business. I’m passionate. I want to win, I’m a winner.'”

db105 says:Mar 23, 2012 10:58 PM

Looks like the Phins will be giving away free tickets again. Maybe they’ll give season ticket holders an opportunity to relocate their season seats. They didn’t last year. What a joke of an organization!

No idea what is going on. . Careless. . Sorry for the fan base. . We went through this in San Francisco when the Yorks took over our team. It was a distaster for 15 years. It seems that we finally figured it out but we cant get all those lost years back. . It sucks to have bad ownership

Philadelphia says:Mar 23, 2012 11:12 PM

What did Ireland do to become a Ka-Jillionairre?
What a MORON he is!!!

I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Matt Moore. I saw him play a few times when he was with the Panthers. He is not a bad QB at all he just needs some talent around him. He has improved each and every year he has been in the NFL.

Again he needs some talent around him and he can be a serviceable QB but Miami doesn’t have much in the way of talent outside of Reggie Bush. The Fins need to focus on picking up skill players along with some D-Linemen but that is another topic. I think they can get a couple of WR’s in the draft or the second round of free agency when teams start shedding some payroll.

Sometimes, keeping it real goes wrong, I think fins are in rebuild mode they just don’t want to come out and say it, on offense we are years back thanks to the almighty savior douche bag of parcells and his disciple on defense maybe a year away to being a top 3 unit, we already good, but now is a offense driven league.

If he hires a GM that doesn’t question the integrity of a players Mom, he should be able to turn that ship around…
————————————————–

Bryant: “My dad was a pimp.”

Ireland: “What did your mom do [for a living]?”

Bryant: “She worked for my dad.”

Ireland: “Your mom was a prostitute?”

Bryant: “No, she wasn’t a prostitute.”

tfbuckfutter says:Mar 23, 2012 11:25 PM

David Garrard really does fit the Dolphins offense a lot better than any other quarterback…..

Crippled.

sffrank1 says:Mar 23, 2012 11:25 PM

The Dolphins need to make a bold move. Drafting Tannehill with the 8th pick is a reach and not the answer. I think they should contact the colts. Offer them Matt Moore, 2012 1st pick, 2013 1st pick and 2014 1st pick, and 2013 3rd Round Pick.
Draft Andrew Luck. Franchise to QB for the next 10+ years.

cornersss says:Mar 23, 2012 11:29 PM

“too bad he didn’t say why he was going to cut brandon…a little explanation would have been pretty nice”

I bet its when he was shopping for a qb, marshal that is and very publicly. Threw Moore under the buss. I bet thats what started it if it was a couple weeks ago.

Mike, here you go twisting things around again. Ross told the fan that if his head coach really wanted Flynn, Flynn would have been signed. He also said why should he pay 8 mil to Smith when he could get the same production from Moore. Both of those statements makes a lot of sense.

My problem is that if they had planned on dumping Marshall all along why did they not go after one of the top FA WRs that were available? Why are they going with unproven players at RG and RT? Why have they not addressed both of the safety positions? Miami needs a better QB but at the same time Moore is capable of taking this team to a WC game. Anything beyond that though would be an overachievement.

What a great story it will be when Matt Moore leads the Fins to a Superbowl win! This guy had a 87.1 QB rating last year with Sparano’s crappy offense, his crappy O-line, field goal strategy and Brandon Marshall dropping beautiful TD passes. Fireland, draft some stud WR’s and pass rushers and depth and lay low and let Philbin speak and you may keep your job another year.

It makes me sick to see fellow dolphin fans stick up for this piece of crap management. I don’t care how many Matt Moore stats you come up with, we are are not going to the playoffs. When are you going to get that through your head. We are the new bucs of the 70’s ready to happen. We can’t sign free agents, and make bad offseason moves. My kids are embarrassed to wear their dolphin jerseys. I never thought in my lifetime I would ever see these lows. At least with Marino we always thought we had a chance.

croghan1919 says:Mar 23, 2012 11:47 PM

And you all think my teams owner Jim Irsay is a bad owner.
His dad was a bad owner , but Jim Irsay KNOWS how the NFL works.
I don’t think you can say that about Ross as your GM still has a job.

Ross and Ireland are genius’. After seeing how badly the eagles season went after too many big free agent acquisitions, they are smart to stand pat with matt moore, brian hartline, and devone bess. Championship!!

Ross has had one of the worst series of offseason gaffes that I can ever recall. This guy just needs to fade into the background, as he is a disaster everytime he speaks and acts. Feel sorry for MIA fan – rarely is an owner such an impediment to a team’s aspirations. Good luck.

tiredofblatheringnflexperts says:Mar 23, 2012 11:53 PM

Worst thing about being a Fins fan is not Jeff Ireland or Stephen Ross or Matt Moore or 13 years of QB purgatory. It’s sharing fandom with a bunch of knobs.

Marshall, who I liked, added nothing in 2 year and POSSIBLY PUNCHED A WOMAN IN THE FACE.
Matt Flynn is a 7th round pick who started exactly 2 games.
If Coach Philbin who has been with Flynn for his entire career didn’t wanna fight to get him, all I have to say is good luck with that Seattle.

Ross calls a 20 year season ticket holder, and attempts to explain the teams moves and he gets grief. Of course it’s a PR stunt. But if he says nothing then the clamor is he doesn’t care what his fan base thinks.

tombrookshire says:Mar 23, 2012 11:55 PM

If Philbin had thought that Flynn was all that, they would have been all over signing him. After all, who would know better what Flynn is all about. We’ll see how he does in Seattle, otherwise known as Siberia.

Dolphins mismanagement predates the buffoonery of Stephen Ross. It began because the Dolphins didn’t want to admit Dan Marino was never going to be a playoff winner (even today the myth of “Dan didn’t have a run game or a defense” is perpetuated in some fan circles despite Marino having a better run game in 14 of his seasons than the 2003 Superbowl-champion Patriots and having top-12 scoring defenses seven times – and failing in the playoffs anyway) so they held on to him at least five years too long. It continued in that the Jimmy Johnson period didn’t succeed in rebuilding the Dolphins even though they still fielded competitive squads 1996-2003, and then it all fell apart when Wannstedt was fired without a credible alternative plan in place; when Parcells was brought in it was a band-aid that brought one good season at the cost of an abysmal program with no long-term potential. Stephen Ross’ dishonesty and incompetence is just the endgame of nearly two decades of slow collapse.

1. The fan that Ross called was the one that organized the protest outside Dolphin head quarters. The papers have been calling for an explination for weeks now. Ross gave it to them by addressing a fan directly. A pretty cool move if you ask me.

2. Championships are not won in free agency. (unless you land a guy like Brees or Manning) I like Miami’s new approach to build through the draft and not free agency. Now they need to clean up the cap situation.

3. Matt Moore is very much the same player as Alex Smith… if not better. Smith had a 90 qb rating last year on a winning team. Moore had a 87.5 qb rating. Philbin’s offense has proven to be very qb friendly. If he can make Flynn look like an all pro then I expect he can do the same for Moore.

4. If Miami drafts a Justin Blackmon or Michael Floyd in the 1st round no one will care about Brandon Marshal. The guy was a head case anyway. On top of that he just about led the league in drops.

dolphins4 says:Mar 24, 2012 12:12 AM

I like Matt Moore but they would be wise to draft Tannehill in the 1st round.

rajbais says:Mar 24, 2012 12:13 AM

Oh!!! That’s so not disingenuous!!!!

How far do you think ticket sales will drop now???????

maltdawg says:Mar 24, 2012 12:13 AM

He needed the cap space so he can bring back Mark Duper and Mark Clayton…..

I’m sorry Dolphin fans, but if you read this and thought ‘wow, what a great gesture and what a great guy’, well, you just fell off the turnip truck.

I mean, really? If the Bears hadn’t come calling they were going to cut Brandon Marshall? Riiiiiiiight. Because we all know the Dolphins GM is stellar at his job so I’m 100% sure he could keep that a secret. Sorry, don’t buy it for a second. If the Dolphins were that close to ‘cutting him loose’ other GMs would have known about it and there is NO WAY a GM would give up two threes for a guy who was about to hit the open market.

As a Bear fan, I would like to thank Ross for the Marshall trade. Just an example of 2 teams oing in completely different directions!

discosucs2005 says:Mar 24, 2012 12:29 AM

As a 49er fan I think Smith is better than Moore, but it would have made no sense for the Dolphins to sign Smith. Smith can only be good when he knows the offense, and Moore would be just as productive if he were established.

philtration says:Mar 24, 2012 12:42 AM

Ross can spin this any way he likes but he gave away one of the best WRs in the league for nothing.

so it looks like jeff ireland will be packing up and taking his talents away from south beach or aka dysfuntction junction. fry fish fry maybe u should give danny boy a call if he’s not busy doing commercials for iceotoner gloves or cameos in pet detective. HA!

philtration says:Mar 24, 2012 12:44 AM

Oh by the way…
Since you are trying to pretend that you will not have a guy like Marshall on your team maybe you can explain the whole Ricky Williams thing for us all.

Of course they did not want Flynn. That is why Seattle offered a crazy huge contract to Flynn…. except they didn’t. Seattle signed Flynn for a reasonable contract that Miami could have easily beat except Flynn expressed and interest in going to Seattle. Rather than admit that Flynn preferred Seattle the Miami Dolphins would prefer to insinuate that they could have signed Flynn if they wanted him. In exactly the same way they could have signed Manning if they wanted him.

This franchise needs to get its act together and learn when to shut the hell up. Ross is a disgrace.

cags777 says:Mar 24, 2012 1:04 AM

Stephen Ross is in a class by himself. At least Raiders fans and the rest of the NFL knew what to expect from the late Al Davis.

To me this proves Ross is inept more than anything. So you were going to cut a wide receiver with this resume?
3 x Pro Bowler
5 straight 1,000 yard season
5 straight 80+ catch seasons
1 of 5 players in NFL history to record 3 straight 100 catch seasons.
Most single game receptions (21) and third most (18) in NFL history.
Oh and did you see his last game he played where he had 4 TDs against the best the NFL has in the Pro Bowl?
And you were going to cut him. Sure you were.

– he overpaid Wayne Huizenga for the team bc he considers himself the no. 1 Finsfan
– he inherited a mess when he took over the team
– he was forced to put up with Bill Parcells
– he was forced to listen to Big Tuna’s advice on everything including overpaying to get Free Agencies
– Parcell, who I think is an undercover NY fan, invested so heavily on offensive linemen
– on top of that, Parcell decided to quit and leave things half done in Miami
– and now he’s left without $$ and is unable to sign his very own players, bc of all committed money on players that not even playing for the team.

Do I need to say more?

chawk12thman says:Mar 24, 2012 1:31 AM

I hope Flynn turns out to be great and shows Ross they made a huge mistake in not “really wanting him”. I take that to mean they didn’t want to pay him as high a number as Flynn wanted or got in Seattle. The contract with Seattle and Flynn seems reasonable. Time will tell.

And Mike, FYI, any half-intelligent fan would be just FINE if/when Matt Moore is the starter next season. What more could you possibly have asked of him? He played very well, especially considering the situation he was thrown into. NO offseason to work with his new team due to the lockout, and he just gets thrown in a quarter of the way into the season because Henne goes down. Despite having ZERO timing with his receivers, he posts the 12th best QB rating in the league and almost single-handedly beats the Pats and Giants. NOT EVERY TEAM CAN HAVE A TOM BRADY OR AARON RODGERS. Come on, let’s try to be professional here please.

I thought the trade was stupid. Then I heard that they would have cut a valuable asset with no ability to replace it.

I’m so glad I’m not only not a Dolphins’ fan, but a Patriots fan. Even if they can’t win playoff games, they’ll get there every year because the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins can’t climb out dump they are in.

I almost pity them.

pongonfl says:Mar 24, 2012 2:25 AM

It makes perfect sense, you cut your best receiver.
He’s just not dolphin material.

LOL you have no problem going with moore over flynn….you have no choice either!Flynn didn’t want anything to do with playing in miami.Don’t flatter yourselfs miami was just a decoy,seattle didn’t bite and flynn came back here anyways.

Now, do you last holdouts in Miami get it? This guy is a clown and the sooner you force him to sell your team by boycotting the product, the quicker you can get back on track. Right now, this franchise is a joke.

Manning only gave a look because Dan Marino begged him to. Jeff Fisher went to freaking St. Louis instead of go there. Jim Harbaugh, just this year’s coach of the year, turned down $8 million a yer to go to San Fran.

It all goes back to the clueless owner and equally clueless stooges under him like Joe Bailey suggesting that Mike Tomlin was “too hip hop” for the Dolphins or Jeff Ireland actually asking draft prospects if their mothers are prostitutes.

So sad to see what Don Shula and Joe Robbie built has deteriorated into. One losing season in 20 years to this.

Just think, people say take Flynn cause u will be regretting it in the Future if you don’t. Well I think the same for Moore. If they play Moore he will either do the job or not, if he does, Ross will be gettin called a lot on behalf of his good decision. If that doesn’t, then god bless David Garrard. In Garrard we trust!

First of all B-Marshal is a game breaker!!! If he drops a few balls you either throw it to him again or you…….. Cut him… Yeah let’s cut him!! His off field issues are nothing more than a few domestic altercations that were a little bit of poor judgement and a little blown out of proportion. Cutler “knows that he’s Trouble” huh!?!?!? Looks like a whole lotta bromance going on when I watch their shared interviews so far!! Lovie DOES know how to handle guys who can’t stay away from trouble and more importantly, help keep them on a path without finding trouble. My prediction would be that Brandon helps the bears offense get to an elite level and win rings, and maybe has one more mild & mostly harmless off field issue over the next 6 seasons as a Bear!! TWO RINGS in the next FOUR YEARS in CHICAGO!!!

cantonbound13 says:Mar 24, 2012 4:47 AM

Ross is an IDIOT!!!! I wish he’d sell the team already! He’s an embarrassment!

cantonbound13 says:Mar 24, 2012 4:50 AM

He should cut Ireland & sell the team. Enjoy your empty stadium this year MORON!!!

As a Dolphins fan I see all of the moves progressively making the team better with chemistry and less distraction. Do not get me wrong Brandon Marshall is a great reciever but with the 0ff the field distraction along with the dropped passes in key situations, he is more of a headache then anything else. The more I read D0lphins fans post you would think we lost the whole franchise with one player. The way most fans sound there is no concievable way to replace one reciever who put up good eceptions and yards but fell way short on TDS. I know everyone remebered a guy named Victor Cruz who put up way better numbers all across the board and he was not drafted and has a ring now. Just remember Brandon Marshall is REPLACEABLE and contribuited nothing to the DOLPHINS, the team cheer for.

– he’s saying to his management: hire who you need, money is no problem… and they are not getting it dine, so it’s probably Ireland’s last year

– Brandon Marshall was NOT their best receiver…. he is a major disruption in the locker room and on the field and is 2nd in the NFL in drops…. he is no where near a top receiver right now, and he’s unlikely to recover as his psychological condition is one that has NO medical treatment other than years of therapy…

– Moore has been playing top flight ball and if his guys were catching they would have been winning a lot of games…. end of story

– Flynn is unproven, and if he does come in as one of the top ’10-15 QBs’ as another commenter pointed out… Moore is already there so all they have done is waste money.

– Smith is the same thing, not proven as a franchise guy… how can you be paying 8m for that?

So has Ross been doing the right things? absolutely…. he’s delegating to staff, making money available, and the team is making smart decisions….

you guys are nitpicking him out of frustration, which is understandable… but unfair…

they will pick up a QB or two in the draft, have a competition, and Moore or the FNG will become the next shot at a Danny boy… that’s the way it works…. right now, Moore has been playing great and he deserves his shot…

Cutting him obviously would have been an even worse idea than trading him. Both were bad though. Matt Moore, assuming he starts the season, will miss his security blanket big time. It’s a luxury for a qb to have a guy like Marshall who can consistently win battles for the ball, why do you think jay cutler is so happy? I feel bad for Moore, he had a decent year, but it will be tough for him to improve on last years showing without Marshall

The Dolphins have had a hard time selling out playoff tickets in the past. Unless they WOW the fans with an amazing draft. They may need to fill the stands with blow-up dolls.
Come to think of it they should fill the roster with blow-up dolls as well.

Worst thing about being a Fins fan is not Jeff Ireland or Stephen Ross or Matt Moore or 13 years of QB purgatory. It’s sharing fandom with a bunch of knobs. ”

So true! Some just like to whine and have lost the ability to think for themselves.
It is CLEAR that the Dolphins are going to build thru the draft- like Green Bay did. The current cap is a mess due to poor judgement, older players signed for too much money- i.e. Y. Bell- $13MM in DEAD cap space on players that are no longer on the team, etc.

You said you could of got Matt Flynn if you wanted to I don’t thank that true you said you wanted Payton you dint get him lets face it you need to fired Jeff Ireland or sell the team to somebody who’s going to bring a champion ship team to Miami

Ross is a clown he talks a big game but somehow he managed to take a team that started 0-7 last year and get worse in the offseason. I feel bad for dolphin fans, your team will not improve during this dope’s regime.

It’s hilarious how Miami fans are justifying Matt Moore as a solid QB. He runs scared every game and Miami has a solid OL. Garrard couldn’t pass a physical in November and before that he was mediocre at best. Miami is in trouble this year.

Someone mentioned you can’t buy championships through free agency unless you get Brees or Manning…Manning? When did Manning win a championship as a free agent? Are you assuming since Manning went to the Broncos, they’ll automatically win a championship? Have you forgotten Manning is under .500 in playoff wins? He was a choke artist until 2006. 3 months ago, he couldn’t throw a football. Now,he’s a lock for a championship? You’re in for a rude awakening when the Broncos don’t make the playoffs. NO ONE PLAYER in the NFL arrives to a team and turns them into a championship contender. Don’t forget, it took years to establish that offense in Indy. John Fox is a MORON of a coach and the Broncos are an average team at best. I am willing to bet Manning never plays in a SB again.

I am pretty sure the cutting Marshall thing was a lie. There were several gm’s, specifically in the NFC North a little upset how the bears got him for so little-which means they did not have knowledge he was on the market. Put BM in a good lockeroom with a mentor like Lovie and I expect solid seasons from him as Chicago Bear. Ross needs to address Ireland…the fact is he is not respected around the league-both by players and other management –he is Miami’s biggest issue going. Period.

annes22 says:Mar 24, 2012 10:03 AM

I don’t have a problem with Matt Moore. He did a good job last season, after coming in when Henne hurt himself. If the Coach Philbin had thought Matt Flynn was the “saviour” he would have signed him. Obviously he didn’t so what’s the problem? Brandon Marshall is a stupid ass. He gets himself in off field antics all the time, and I would think the Dolphins have had enough of him. Leading the league in dropped passes doesn’t help any team, so maybe start with holding on to the ball. See what happens with his recent behaviour, he could be suspended by the NFL.

I would actually take Flynn over Moore only because we have seen Moore and he is just average atleast with you have the unknown plus Moore is going to be terrible in Philbin’s WCO.

randomguy9999 says:Mar 24, 2012 11:12 AM

mempusa says:
Mar 24, 2012 9:22 AM
It’s hilarious how Miami fans are justifying Matt Moore as a solid QB. He runs scared every game and Miami has a solid OL.

=====================

that’s grossly incorrect…. reality:

Miami’s OL is 29th or 30th in : hits on QB, sacks, and QB knockdowns… they were freakin terrible and Moore was running for his life half the time.

in spite of that, if you actually looked at the games…. he was putting the ball in guys facemasks all the time, showing great poise in the pocket when it existed, was making great decisions, and was snapping the ball hard.

also Moore was throwing to the #2 and #11 guys in drops in the entire NFL….

Moore is playing great and Smith and Flynn weren’t worth the upgrade money

Moore deserves a line upgrade, a couple of actual receivers, and his shot now….

As people have pointed out, this fan does not realize that the Dolphins problems start and end with Jeff Ireland.

backindasaddle says:Mar 24, 2012 12:14 PM

I’m not certain which which teams management is more incompetent, the Jets or the Dolphins.

These statements by Ross I find to be…. lame. Also, it’s one thing to make excuses, but the Matt Flynn thing is a blatant lie. Now your credibility, Mr. Ross, is very quickly flying directly out the window….best be careful. This off-season has basically confirmed and cast into stone what was previously becoming somewhat obvious: That Miami Dolphins management is absolutely atrocious. GM Ireland needs to be fired…. but the ironic part… the owner himself is too incompetent to know any better and it’s highly doubtful based on his moves thus far that he has the capacity to hire a competent replacement.

Actually, now that I think about it a little bit more, as many mistakes as Jets GM Tannenbaum makes up in NY, this Ross/Ireland tandem of incompetence and failure in Miami is worse.

As a Bears fan, there is a bigger problem here. The NEW GM gave up two thirds for Marshall (if I recall correctly), when theoretically they could have gotten him for a 7th (or no picks) had they waited if it is in fact true he would have been cut. I would have like to seen those thirds in the draft. I hope this isn’t more of the same…

The owner would of looked liked even more of a fool if he cut his one elite player at this point no matter the off field issue’s. I think he was blowing smoke up this ticket holder’s ace to ease his mind.

‘As to Flynn, why did they bring him to town if they didn’t want him?’

The general consensus was if Flynn’s old offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, didn’t see value in Flynn, it would be an indictment against the free agent. Knowing this, and considering there was likely some personal relationship between Flynn and Philbin, don’t you think it’s reasonable Philbin scheduled the Flynn meeting out of courtesy. It could have been devastating to Flynn’s free agent status if the Dolphins simply passed him by without a thought.

I find it funny that the national media continues to pile on with the Dolphins not getting Flynn. Maybe Ireland used his brain and didn’t see the point in signing a unproven back up quarterback for 8 million a year. It’s easier to follow the leader and more difficult to think on your own. It’s funny to ready the same posts on every Dolphins article trade Ireland trade Ross. I know a majority of Dolphins fans complain about coaches, owners, gms and quarterbacks and after they get their wish and it fails they complain how stupid the decision was. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Go Dolphins i’m a fin fan for life. Try being positive for once I mean look at Jets fans they talk all kinds of trash and they haven’t won a superbowl in 45 years.

milehighguy1323 says:Mar 25, 2012 2:33 AM

Count to 10 and take a deep breath! I just let all my frustration go. I am a Dolphin fan that lives in Denver. Back to back Superbowl’s won by no other than a QB named Elway who for years was compared to Marino. Then came and went Tebow. Now this, Peyton Manning. Still I bleed Aqua and orange. I don’t like what I’m seeing out of Miami this off season, it don’t make since. But what I do know is if this article is true, which I have my doubts every word makes since. My one question is the Marshall trade. I like it since the guy couldn’t catch a cold and dropped every TD that could have changed our season. I agree with that, but who have we replaced him with? Matt Moore may not be Manning, Brady, Rodgers, or Bree’s but he is by far better than Henne, Sanchez, Tebow, or now Garrard. I’m not sure what the Dolphins are doing but come on my fellow Fin Fans. Let’s give Joe a shot, band together, the good, the bad, the ugly. Let’s at least try to stay positive and give them some 12th man backing. If you have ever seen the movie major league than you know the impossible can happen GO PHINS 2012….We are building, so NO….we are not going to win the Superbowl but along this transition stand behind OUR TEAM. Cheer them on and give them some backing and give them reason to fight not to embarrass themselves.

This reeks of self-preservation. The Dolphins flat out failed miserably in an offseason with a ton of talent available. You mean to tell me no team would return your calls regarding a top-5 WR? I’m sure the Pats would’ve in a heartbeat. Marshall has a a difficult disease to deal with, so he certainly has had some tough times. The Bears have a great veteran nucleus, which will help him be a great teammate. Even if he was released, the Bears got a deal cause they would’ve certainly saved money in a signing bonus. Plus, there was no guarantee that he would sign with Chicago. Likely, but not an absolute. Thanks Ireland, you’re quickly becoming the worst executive in the NFL. Moore is decent- who’s he going to throw to now? A draft pick, Boss, and that white guy? They’ll be lucky to win two games this season.

If Brandon Marshal was not Miami’s top WR,,, uummm, why did he receive the clear majority of targets regardless of who was playing QB? Why did he lead the team in most receiving categories, especially catches, yardage & big plays (25 yard + catches)?? Why did he rank among the very best in the entire league in many of those categories and earn another trip to the pro bowl?

With 140 targets and 81 receptions in the 2012 campaign he racked up 12 drops. The # 12 isn’t crazy high considering most of those plays he saw double coverage and the entire stadium knew he was the 1st & 2nd read in the red zone!! There were a few ugly drops that could have helped the phins take the lead, but there’s a reason that the ball was thrown to him in the first place… He was the team’s best WR!!! I’m pretty sure that Hartline & Bess would tell you that themselves too..

It’s amusing to see all the Dolphins fans saying how awfull he was while he has only racked up one of the most impressive & productive stat lines with consistency over the past 5 years!! As a football fan I think it’s ridiculous to think that the dolphins would have cut one of the Best WR’s in The League!! As a Bears fan, I’m excited to have his ability & his production in our offense!!

randomguy9999 says:Mar 28, 2012 12:46 PM

lilmiddle78 says:Mar 28, 2012 4:59 AM

*** randomguy9999 ***

If Brandon Marshal was not Miami’s top WR,,, uummm, why did he receive the clear majority of targets regardless of who was playing QB?

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being #1 on the depth chart and thus being targeted by the QB doesn’t mean you are getting it done…. he dropped 5 in the end zone…. he was 2nd in drops in the league…. he didn’t catch them when it was critical…. he didn’t get the TDs when the team needed them to win a game and that what he’s paid for….

he was in the #1 slot for the phins, but he isn’t a #1 reciever any more

he held the team back for a variety of reasons….

also, he has a serious psychological problem whos main theme is “it’s never my fault and I”ll get violent about it” for which there is no medication… he’s been arrested or had the police called to deal with his issues 13 times in the last 5 years…. have fun with Marshall in the locker room this year…

he stinks, and as a Bear fan, you will curse the day you guys took him…

He and those close to him have been raving about the therapy he has been receiving in Boston this year and every time one of his transgretions is mentioned all I hear is him owning up to it! I know that he had drops that would have given Miami the lead, but it’s not like that’s what he’s known for.. There are very few WR who have better numbers over the past 5 years and with the consistency that he has produced. The only reason last year can be considered subpar for Marshal IS the drops, as well as the overall record. Mark my words he is going to be a great Bear and have very few off field issues.

I know why you’re frustrated, but take #19 off the Dolphins roster and nothing is accomplished but losing a proven probowl WR! Check out the other WR near the top of that drops list. Most of them are the #1 WR on their team, it goes with the territory to some degree.

The last thing before I get outta here is the history of incidents on Marshal’s record.. One could make the case that Marshal is just not capable of wholesome relationships with women. It also seems obvious that there are a few crazy people in his life, their names come up on the police records over & over again. Many of the calls to the police were simply due to an argument, every time I argue with my wife it doesn’t become public record! In a different time without social media, the public would probably only be aware of 2 or 3 of these incidents and he wouldn’t look like such a bad guy.. As far as his borderline personality disorder and the “it’s not my fault” attitude, he took ownership of his role in the altercation that ended up killing his teammate Darrent Williams and has always taken ownership of the situations that lead to visits from the police! I’m good with Marshal being a Bear!! And only time will tell if he has matured or if 2008 & 2009 will repeat themselves.. He has not had much trouble in a little while now so I think he’ll be okay.

randomguy9999 says:Apr 3, 2012 10:13 AM

lilmiddle78 says:Mar 28, 2012 6:14 PM

He and those close to him have been raving about the therapy he has been receiving in Boston this year and every time one of his transgretions is mentioned all I hear is him owning up to it!

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yeah, BPD people are really good at that…. convincing people they’ve changed until they turn the external situation around into a scenario that strokes their ego…

…. and the off field incidents aren’t a domestic issue…. they are a tell tale symptom of the underlying full time wreck….

look, got a bunch of Bear fan friends, know they want to believe in the good decisions of their team, and hope it works out for the guy, but the reality is the stats, medical facts, and history say it’s a long shot at best

Oh, and I’m relieved we got rid of him no matter what he does up there, he was a wreck here…